Brett Kincaid is the design director for Steelcase, and one of the design minds behind the manufacturer’s recent focus on collaborative work spaces.

A fixed gear bicycle, or a fixie

Steelcase: c:scape

What is your favorite example of great design?
Bicycles. This may actually be a fetish, but I rarely see a bike without imagining how it evolved to what it is today. Bicycles are still the ultimate open source project. Lately I’ve been drawn to those bikes that have a singular purpose (despite the popularity of hybrids in many areas of design), like fixies, Danish cargo trikes and modified trials bikes.

What is the most memorable moment in your career as a designer?
It was the first time I saw how someone actually lived with furniture I had created. When you see the things you create occupy an intimate part of a person’s life, home or work you can’t help but be humbled and feel the responsibility of creating.

What is the most important factor that influences and/or inspires your design process?
Personally, it’s the gap between understanding and expression. Even if small, crossing that gap is stimulating, terrifying and often feels like free fall. It’s the part of the process with limitless, simultaneous possibilities.